Ivacy VPN Review

Ivacy VPN: Pros and Cons

Like with any VPN provider, Ivacy VPN is not perfect. At VPNSurfers, we aim to provide readers with unbiased and informative reviews, so that they can make informed VPN purchases. We’ve researched vital areas of Ivacy and its VPN service to provide you with the most extensive Ivacy VPN review possible.

How Much Does Ivacy VPN Cost?

A lot of people wonder, ‘Is Ivacy VPN free?’ Unfortunately, the answer is no. Price is always a major factor that comes into play when choosing a VPN provider, and we highly rate Ivacy VPN in its pricing area, since it has a few payment plans to suit different user needs. Unlike a few years ago, when Ivacy’s subscriptions cost a little more than today, we feel that the prices now better reflect the services and features that Ivacy VPN offers.

• The 1-month plan costs $9.95 per month. This plan is great for users who need a VPN for short-term reasons or for those who don’t want to commit to a long term service.

• The 1-year plan works out to $6.50 per month. This isn’t the cheapest VPN price we’ve seen for an annual subscription, but it certainly isn’t the most expensive either.

• If you’re certain that Ivacy VPN is the provider for you, then you can buy the 5-year plan. At the time of writing, this plan was on offer for an incredible $1 per month. This works out to $60 dollars for 5 years of protection, a feat unmatched by other VPN providers.

With all of these plans come refund options. On the monthly plan, there is a 7-day money-back guarantee, which means you must cancel your subscription before the end of the first week of your plan.

The yearly plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, there is a catch to this refund, that isn’t entirely clear upon purchase. Users can only get a refund if they meet the following criteria:

• Users can’t have had more than 30 sessions using the VPN
• A bandwidth limit of 500MB can’t have been exceeded
• Payments made with cryptocurrency including BitPay can’t be refunded.

It may seem a little sneaky of Ivacy to have conditions surrounding its 30-day money-back guarantee policy, but this small print is available to customers. Is it fair? At VPNSurfers, we think that it’s acceptable for Ivacy VPN to have a refund policy like this, but perhaps it could be more obvious upon purchase.

Some features aren’t included in the subscription plans. For example, if you want to get extra features such as dedicated IP addresses in locations like the UK, USA, Canada, and Hong Kong, then you’ll have to pay a little more.

One good aspect of Ivacy VPN is that it accepts many payment options. As well as regular payment methods like credit card and PayPal, you can also pay for the VPN with BitPay and PerfectMoney. The option to use digital currency offers more freedom, especially for VPN users who want privacy since it can help you to remain more anonymous.

How Fast is Ivacy VPN?

Speed is an important aspect of VPNs and something that VPN services are constantly trying to improve. Ivacy offers users unlimited data, which is good for streaming and gaming. However, VPNs are known to affect download and upload speeds, and can often severely slow them down.

Download speed is important for streaming and torrenting, whereas upload speed and ping affect gameplay a lot more. Although Ivacy promises users super-fast speeds and assures people it can defeat bandwidth throttling, the speed test results we ran suggested otherwise. Our Ivacy VPN speed tests showed that while Ivacy wasn’t one of the worst-performing VPNs in terms of affecting download and upload speeds, it wasn’t one of the best.

Using Ivacy VPN lowered our download and upload speeds on average by around 20%. We connected to servers in the USA, Australia, and the UK, and each speed test showed download speeds that ranged from 40 to 100 Mbps. Our ping was consistently high across the board, indicating that Ivacy could cause latency during gameplay. The significant drop in upload and download speeds was also worrying.

However, we managed to connect to Amazon Prime using a US server and were pleasantly surprised by the HD picture and buffer-free streaming. There are many factors that affect server speed including proximity to the server and the number of other users on the VPN server.

With all of the above in mind, Ivacy is no threat to VPN providers like ExpressVPN, which delivers constantly impressive speeds. If a fast connection is what you’re looking for then it may be better to look elsewhere.

Does Ivacy VPN have Good Customer Support?

We’ve already mentioned Ivacy’s customer support in the Features section, but it’s worth exploring it a little further in a VPN review. Although support options don’t seem like an integral part of VPNs, if you run into a problem or have a burning question, it’s good to know that help is there if you need it.

Ivacy has a decent customer support service. Firstly, there is information and online guides on the provider’s website. These aren’t as extensive as bigger providers, but they do the job. What’s more, Ivacy has a support ticket, email, or 24/7 live chat option all of which can be accessed via the help page. We tried out the live chat and found the customer support representative we spoke to was helpful and informed about all things VPN.

Ivacy is also active on social media such as Twitter, where users can contact customer service. Although there is no guarantee that you’ll receive a response on a social platform page, it’s good to know there are many different avenues through which people can reach out.

Is Ivacy VPN Safe?

As we outlined in the security section, Ivacy VPN has a lot of great features to keep users’ data encrypted and their IP addresses hidden whilst they are online. For example, there is a kill switch feature. A kill switch is essential since it disconnects you from the internet should your VPN connection falter.

As well as this, there is the Secure Download feature, which scans files from the internet for malware, and Ivacy has its own DNS servers that have in-built DNS-leak protection. We also know that Ivacy has a no-logging policy thanks to its straightforward privacy policy.

However, is Ivacy VPN safe from hackers? Even though the company itself doesn’t store user data, that doesn’t make it exempt from attacks on its servers. For VPN companies, server breaches are a real threat, since attackers often target servers to extract large amounts of data. We’ve taken a deeper look at Ivacy to determine whether it can be considered a ‘safe’ VPN provider.

Firstly, 1/4 of Ivacy’s VPN servers in its server list are virtual. This means that server locations don’t always match up to where they are physically located, and instead, VPN providers use masking techniques to hide the server’s true location. This is a common occurrence in the VPN world, but something that a lot of customers dislike. Since virtual servers aren’t located where they are believed to be, it leads some people to believe that they can be more easily compromised.

However, the reason for using virtual servers is that they can prove to be a lot safer. For example, Ivacy’s Turkish VPN server is physically based in New York City. This is because, in Turkey, there is a higher risk of the server being seized (and some VPN providers have experienced this, namely ExpressVPN). Therefore, by physically storing a server elsewhere, Ivacy has better control and can protect users’ safety more effectively.

One thing to bear in mind is that Ivacy is based in Singapore. Although Singapore passed a data protection act in 2012, it’s important to remember that the Republic of Singapore is a partner of The Five Eyes alliance. This organization is made up of several countries that agree to share citizen data. Usually, an individual’s online data is only shared if he or she is a person of interest or a threat to national security, like a terrorist. However, it is important to bear this in mind when you’re choosing a VPN, especially if you’re using a VPN for privacy reasons.

Who Owns Ivacy VPN?

Not much is known about Ivacy and how it is run. The company is very secretive and little is known about the owners. Ivacy was founded in 2007 and its headquarters are based in Singapore, but there are no names online of Ivacy’s founders or current CEO. However, during research for this review, we did find that Ivacy is owned by parent company Gaditek, an organization that also operates PureVPN.

The fact that not much is known about the ownership of Ivacy VPN isn’t in itself all that strange. Since VPN companies aim to give people more internet privacy online, it makes sense that the owners of Ivacy would want to keep their details confidential and anonymous as well.

Is Ivacy VPN Good for Streaming?

Although VPN services are predominantly used for encrypting internet data, they also provide users with access to geo-blocked content. Streaming sites such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer use your device’s IP address to connect you to a TV and film library for your region. This is limiting for some people, who want to be able to access a wide range of TV shows and movies.

Luckily, VPNs can change your device’s IP and help you to watch shows not available in your region. This is why it’s important to find a provider with a lot of server locations so that you can connect to servers in your desired locations. Ivacy VPN has a decent server network for accessing streaming sites, with over 300 VPN servers in Europe, 129 in the USA, and 149 in Asia. We tested Ivacy VPN and found that it was effective at accessing BBC iPlayer in the UK, and Amazon Prime, and Hulu.

However, there were some issues accessing Netflix while using Ivacy. While we had no trouble connecting to US Netflix when we tried to access foreign libraries we ran into some trouble. This is because Netflix has an intensely strong VPN firewall, that is constantly updating its technology.

Ivacy claims that users can access Japanese Netflix, and we tried to get through to it using the mobile app and had no luck. We tried again using the Windows client and failed. However, upon using one of the browser extensions for Chrome, we were finally able to access a new collection of Netflix shows and films.

So, while Ivacy is good for US Netflix, we wouldn’t recommend it if your sole reason for using VPNs is to view regionally blocked content. Its list of servers is not as extensive as other providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, and we experienced a little bit of buffering when we finally got through to Japanese Netflix.

Is Ivacy VPN Good for Gaming?

Ivacy VPN works fairly well when it comes to unblocking foreign streaming websites, but what about its service for gamers? Although a lot of gamers believe that a VPN will slow them down and cause latency, this is not actually the case with all providers.

Users can connect their Ivacy VPN to their router in order to protect their gaming consoles such as Playstation and Xbox. Ivacy VPN states on a page of its website that it can protect users from DDoS attacks, which are all too common in gaming. By connecting to an Ivacy VPN server, your real IP address will be hidden and Ivacy’s servers can absorb these attacks much better than your regular network, reducing the possibility of your game getting disrupted by other players.

However, if you want extremely fast speeds during gaming, Ivacy may not be the best VPN option. As our speed tests demonstrated, upload speed fell quite a lot when we connected to Ivacy servers, which is an important aspect of gaming speeds. What’s more, our ping was consistently quite high, which may affect in-game response time.

If you want a VPN that is going to improve your gameplay experience, Ivacy VPN may not be the best choice. However, if you buy it for other reasons and decide to protect your gaming devices at a later date, you can do so with Ivacy by connecting it to your router.

Does Ivacy VPN Work on iPhone?

Compatibility with a large range of operating systems is a must for a VPN provider. The best VPNs have dedicated apps for all major platforms, and Ivacy is no exception.

During our research for this review, we were impressed to find that Ivacy VPN works with all major platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. There are also dedicated apps for Kodi, Amazon Fire, and Android TV which is impressive.

The Ivacy VPN app is relatively easy to use and navigate. It perhaps isn’t as stylish as ExpressVPN’s app, but it is well laid-out. From the home screen, users can choose a server from a location list, and filter it either by country or city. There is a favorites section, where people can store their favorite servers for quick connection, and split tunneling is easy to carry out on the app. Users can easily activate the kill switch on the app by going to the settings tab.

What’s more, it’s easy to switch protocols on the PC client and mobile app. It’s worth mentioning that the Android app only supports OpenVPN (which isn’t a bad thing!) and the iOS app only supports IKEv2.

If you want to use the VPN while gaming, then you can connect your VPN to your router to protect your PlayStation and Xbox. There is a ‘how-to’ guide on Ivacy’s website that tells users how to configure the VPN to a router and provide protection to all devices connected to it. Since Ivacy has a limit of 5 simultaneous connections, connecting your VPN to your router is a good idea if you want to bypass this limitation.

As mentioned, Ivacy VPN also provides browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. These are better to use than Ivacy’s apps for accessing streaming services such as Netflix and proved to be very effective during research for our review.

Overall, using Ivacy across all devices is possible. The PC clients and phone apps are easy to use, and the iPhone app has great user reviews on the app store, with an overall 4.3 out of 5 stars rating. User reviews are on the whole positive, which is very reassuring for future customers.

Can you use Ivacy VPN in China?

For some people, VPNs are necessary since they travel a lot. When traveling, using a VPN ensures that you can bypass geo-blocks in your home country, or within the territory you’re visiting. Countries such as China and Russia are well known for their fierce censorship laws and strong VPN firewalls that most VPNs cannot get past.

On its website, Ivacy reassures users that they can use Ivacy VPN in China. The Ivacy team is constantly updating its technologies to ensure that its VPN functions in China, which is a good sign. Ivacy has many Chinese VPN servers, which means that people outside of China can access Chinese websites and TV channels.

Although China is constantly upping its great VPN firewall, it’s good to see that Ivacy is committed to providing Chinese residents with online freedom. With many VPNs struggling to function properly in China, we’re pleased to see that Ivacy has had some success in this region.

Is Ivacy VPN Worth it?

So, is Ivacy VPN worth purchasing? For us, yes it is, if you want a reasonably priced service that offers decent security and extra features. When it comes to pros, Ivacy has all the essential elements that a VPN requires, such as a kill switch, and has a good-sized server network.

The only cons of Ivacy are its speeds, which are not as impressive as other providers such as ExpressVPN, and its money-back guarantee policy is not transparent. What’s more, it isn’t the best VPN for accessing Netflix. However, its privacy policy is good and Ivacy was the pioneer of split tunneling, which is very impressive. All in all, it’s a solid VPN that has our seal of approval.

Author Madeleine Hodson

I’m Madeleine, and I'm a writer that specializes in cybersecurity, tech products, and all things related to the internet. I have a keen interest in VPNs and believe that everyone deserves internet freedom and security. I wr...
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